And those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. 29:69 The Quran

Teaching a Lesson in Humanity

Syed Javed Hussain

Generally speaking all the events of human history initially have special bearings on a particular place, groups of people and area, however, the obvious dimensions of the event, and the ideals pursued help such episodes transcend the limits of geography, ethnicity and religion.

One such event in human history is the Tragedy of Karbala. Although, apparently the event relates to the area of Iraq, an Arab country, the family of Hashim and the Muslims, yet the special features of the event make it a universal event transcending the petty, limits of time, space and geography. The scale of the event is so gigantic as the whole history of human achievements fails to produce even one example of such self-sacrifice and devotion to the cause and respect for higher human values at the same time.

Imam Hussain (RA) faced the utmost brutality with matching perseverance, fortitude and resilience. The cruelties perpetrated on the house of the Imam has no parallel in human history and by withstanding all the persecutions with grace and serenity Imam Hussain (RA) set a standard to humanity as to who should be respected and emulated and who should be despised abhorred and condemned.

As love and concern for the oppressed and hatred for the oppressor is natural to man, so Imam Hussain (RA), in fact, established himself as the leaders of all the oppressed peoples of the world. He established a principle that oppression wherever it is and whoever is committing it is to be condemned and opposed by all means.

By offering a great sacrifice the Imam established himself as the natural leader of all the oppressed and persecuted peoples on earth. Here the considerations of religion, time, colour, and space do not hold. That is why Imam Hussain (RA) is always dear to all the oppressed classes of the world. He is always a just and thoughtful example for them to emulate.

The way Imam Hussain (RA) faced the derelictions of Yazid and his acolytes demonstrated that Imam Hussain (RA) had a strong belief in the superiority of truth over falsehood. Here again, he was upholding the torch of human values that were liked, accepted and respected in the fore corners of the world. In Karbala, Imam Hussain (RA), on behalf of the truth lovers of the whole world, in fact, fought the battle for integrity, veracity and honesty.

Wherever truth and virtue is respected in the world the people will emulate his example to fight off despotism, terrorism and falsehood. In Karbala mam Hussain (RA) fought for the values that were universal in their appeal and were natural to human beings. In Karbala, in fact, the truthfulness, uprightness, candour, honesty and fidelity was pitted against falsehood, deception, dishonesty, duplicity, artifice and machination of Yazid as symbol of all the evils of that time.

All the religions of the world work toward improving the man morally. There are certain standards of morality that are universal in their application and recognition. Imam Hussain (RA) in Karbala was fighting not only for the supremacy of the religion of his grandfather, Muhammad (PBUH). He fought for universal human values. Yazid was promoting a new religious, political, ethnic, and social culture which went contrary to not only what Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had taught but also to the generally accepted human values.

This the great humanist would not tolerate. He stood against Yazid and sacrificed everything in the way of God to preserve the basic human standards, so that man could claim superiority over animal by remaining a good human being. The Islamic edifice was being shaken to grounds. The very basis of its philosophy were being eroded. The integrity of the forefathers, the just and truthful companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), was being questioned.

The things were taking a drastic turn. Any delay would cost the human race very dearly. They would be robbed of a true and chosen religion. They would be condemned to eternal banishment. Imam Hussain (RA) was nurtured and groomed for such an occasion.

He rose to the occasion and acted true to his salt and saved the humanity from falling into a deep chasm of neglect, indifference and pity. However, it was not fight between two sects of Islam or between two religions. It was a battle between good and evil. As all the religions of the world, in principle, stand for truth, uprightness, honesty and morality, so Hussain (RA) has his protagonists all over the world in every religion. Anyone who is fighting the evil has great example in Hussain (RA) to emulate.

The battle between good and evil is eternal and is still going on. The truth and falsehood can never go together. Therefore, Hussain (RA) is still relevant to the ever changing time. But unfortunately the evil seems to be succeeding temporarily. Keeping in view his services to humanity the day of Hussain’s martyrdom, 10th Muharram, should have been an international mourning day.

But it is not so. Hussain (RA) is being branded as only the leader of one sect of Muslims which is a great travesty of justice. A poet has said and rightly so: “Let human race awake, then every nation will claim that Hussain (RA) is their leader.”

The martyrdom of Hussain (RA) is being commemorated predominantly only by Shia community as an exception to the rule. Otherwise, all the events and sacrifices in human history, which were made for humanity are being remembered by the entire human race without exception. One such example is the sacrifice rendered by the labourers on 1st May 1986, in Chicago.

They were just demanding increase in wages and reduction in long working hours. (Those days the labourers worked the whole day from dawn to dusk and had no time to relax and refresh themselves). The police without any apparent justification fired at the crowd and killed and wounded hundred of peoples.

The percussionists carried the blood stained shirts of the victims as flags and began their long-drawn battle for deliverance. Since 1890, Ist May is commemorated all across the globe as an international day of labourers that signifies the beginning of their struggle for human rights.

The sacrifice offered by Imam Hussain (RA) for a greater Human cause is not inferior in any respect. Instead, Hussain (RA) here too was a forerunner and taught the Christian labourers of Chicago through his own great example how to oppose the blood thirsty cronies of Oppression. They finally succeeded following the footprints of Hussain (RA) and his companions on the sands of Karbala. Once the world comes to realise the true dimensions of the sacrifices of Imam Hussain (RA) before soon the whole world will be commemorating the 10th of Muharram as an international day of Truth and Humanity while mourning the death of Hussain (RA) the world, in fact, will be showing aversion to falsehood, sham, disloyalty, despotism and other such inhuman behaviours.

Information

Imam Hussain (RA) faced the utmostbrutality with matching perseverance,fortitude and resilience. The crueltiesperpetrated on the house of the Imam hasno parallel in human history and bywithstanding all the persecutions withgrace and serenity Imam Hussain (RA) set a standard to humanity as to who shouldbe respected and emulated and whoshould be despised abhorred andcondemned.